Step by Step Instructions on How To Write a Sales Letter?

Here are notes that I’ve taken from a recent and excellent copywriting course:

List Objections

Cost Not Worth it
Don’t Have Time to Learn
I’ve Never Been Good at Computer Stuff – can’t learn this
I’ll Delete the Wrong Files
My Computer is Different
I don’t know how to do this
Learning Frustrates me
I’ll probably break it and cost myself more money
This program will mess up my computer
Too complicated

Headline

Worth 80% of the Sale
Goal is to get them to Read the Rest – dont’ give away details
Be specific about Benefits they get for Reading, just don’t tell them HOW in the headline
Read my post on good titles

Opening Hook

Engaging Story angle that connects with Readers Emotional pain
Speak about the key problem of your Target
They should say, “yeah, that’s me exactly, I want to know what is going on here”
Goal is to get them to read the rest of the letter, not solve their problem

Establish Credibility

Apply your story angle, Why will they pay attention to what you say?
Testimonials about you and your skill, social proof
Reference Reputable Case Studies, yours or others
Credentials and other authorized proof of your skills
Overcome their skepticim
Ask yourself, “Am I believable”
before and after pictures
media appearances, press coverage
specific results that you obtained for others
celebrity or other endorsements
screencast or video demonstration of how your idea works
picture of yourself

Provide the Solution

Build Desire to stop the pain, remind them of their emotional pain if possible
Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
You may Feel.., Others Felt too, but they Found …
Define the Problem
Address why the problem hasn’t been solved before
What solutions are possible?
What is different now with your solution
Why is your solution best
intensify their problem, poke them where it is emotionally painful – they must need a solution today.
You have a solution, a trick, a gizmo, something that will do the work for them
don’t make the solution rely on your personal skill

Bullet Points (List of Emotional Benefits)

List the specific features that have benefits
Keep and expand on the benefits that solve emotional pain
Logic is good, but you must include emotion too
Keep bullet points short and make the letter easy to eye scan
Bullet points can be subheaders too
Address Objections (no time, no money, won’t work for them)

Testimonials about Product Results

coach your people or rewrite their testimonials and ask if your version is ok
show how specific results of use of your idea/system
full name, picture, audio, video, website, more is better
Address objections in testimonials

Bonuses

Should match the product
you can summarize something difficult or long for them
highlight something good and draw attentoin to it
make bonuses at least as valuable as the offer
3 to 5 bonuses, no more
Bonuses should do the work for them, or imply the work is done if they have the bonus

Pricing

build up price of related services for a comparison
compare apples to apples features of your product vs others
minimize “cup of coffee per day”
What could you do with an extra $2500 (whatever the system produces)
Build up the value, don’t lower your price
Time comparison of what it would take them to do it on their own
Talk about time they will save

Guarantee

Longer is Better
avg is 3% to 10%, low for physical, high for digital
longer time frames don’t pressure them to refund
this must be better than zero risk (they still wasted their time after all)

Call to Action and Order Summary

use video to walk them through how to order
clearly show them step by step with arrows, words, etc
use pre supposition language “Yes, I want to buy X, Here is the guarantee I have”
PS – recap your order, reiterate your best selling points

Editing

Don’t edit as you go, just flow
After you write – go back and add SEO and corrections
Simplify and avoid redundancy